Tuesday Magic Item – Bottled Youth (A to Z Challenge B)

2 April, 2013

The gods who once ruled over what would become the Sea of Stars would reward their most faithful with beautiful bottles filled with the essence of immortality, a drink that would wash away age and restore youth and vigor. Even then, their were highly prized and even more highly sought after.

With the fall of the gods and the sundering, the supply of such miraculous brew ceased but the demand for it did not. Wizards, alchemists and sorcerers bent their skills and powers to recreate such. However, lacking immortality themselves, they could only grant youth by taking it from another. The ethical or them used their own youth or refined it from pieces of neigh immortal creatures such as the phoenix, others stole and distilled the life force of youths to create theirs . . .

Bottled Youth

These rare drinks are stored in long necked, narrow bottles of opalescent glass ranging from white to black depending on the source of the youth contained within. The liquid within is a smoky color ranging from a pale ethereal white to an ashy dark gray, the white coming from immortal beings while the ashy grey from sacrificial victims, while those created with the magical of near immortal beasts have flecks of color from those beings. Those who drink the liquid can never describe its taste but it comes with fragmentary flashes of memories from where the youth (or magic) was taken from.

The effect of the liquid is instantaneous and visible, a year of age is wiped from the drinker making them younger and healthier, with any non-magical affliction they are suffering from is swept away. The effect is intoxicating and heady, leaving the drinker dazed for 1d4+1 rounds thereafter.

Aura strong transmutation (and necrourgy if the youth of another was used); CL 15thSlot none; Price 20,000; Weight 1 lbConstruction Requirements
Brew Potion, polymorth any object, enervation and vampirc touch if the youth of another is being used, creator must have Knowledge (Arcane or Religion) at 10 ranks or higher; Cost 5,000 + One year of the creator’s life, the life of a youth or rare magical materials (such as dragon’s blood or phoenix feathers) or an immortal creator.

Notes: What price youth? This sort of magic item I have always felt should have a major metaphysical cost beyond the magic involved in its creation.